MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay, 10/22/2012.
Under the motto Let us start by doing something together, the Teresian Association held in Montevideo its IV Congress for children in Latin America.
About 150 children and adolescents coming from Argentina, Chile, Bolivia and Uruguay participated in it from the 11th to the 14th of October. Their joy, enthusiasm and initiatives marked this encounter.
The IV Congress had in its background to reflect and generate actions and attitudes on the care of the environment and the culture of peace.
Its objectives: 1. To offer every two years a space for interchange and learning, with virtual and real experiences for those children and adolescents attending the TA schools in Latin America. 2. To form a generation of people capable of thinking and acting as citizens at the local and international levels by means of dialogs and agreements with other cultures.
The daily routine and the work dynamics were geared to develop in them skills of communication and integration in the presence of cultural and social differences; to experience spaces for self encounter, encounter with the transcendent, with others and with different cultures; to develop attitudes and the necessary skills to become citizens that respect and care for the environment seeking their own good and the good of others.
The participants had the opportunity to share the versions of each country on the song “Always with us”. They presented a project on the “Interior Castle” of St. Teresa of Jesus, took part in workshops of art and science where they learned the value of water, the importance of eolian energy and the need to reduce the use of fossil energy. They also built comets that later on they launched at the esplanade of Montevideo. They participated in a Fair of Traditional Games and visited Montevideo in a City Tour Bus.
After the Inaugural Prayer they shared an early dinner accompanied by a warm Spring- time sun. The day close with a very entertaining Dinner Show where they presented the local versions of the song “Always with us”.
The second day started in the auditorium, experiencing the spirit of the Interior Castle, where each lived his/her own personal encounter with Jesus. Afterwards, in groups, they took part in the workshops of art and science with its objectives. In the afternoon they built the comets while learning the different names each country has for this word: pandorgas in Paysandu, barriletes in Argentina, volantines in Chile. This intense day ended with the Fair of Traditional Games.
On Saturday they went for the City Tour. They were accompanied by students and teachers of the TA Poveda School in Montevideo. These had elaborated a pamphlet with the pertinent information on the places visited. The official picture of the IV Congress was taken at the entrance steps of the Law Palace. They visited the Pedestrian Sarandi, the Plaza of the Constitution, and the Communities where they had lunch at the esplanade of the English Temple.
On the last day, October 14th, the evaluation took place. They drew up conclusions and interchanged gifts from the different countries. As thanksgiving and closing ceremony, they had the celebration of the Eucharist, attended by in members of the TA in Uruguay, with friends and parents of the students of Poveda School in Montevideo.
History of the Congress
In the year 2003, at the initiative of the educators of the Educational Centers of the TA in Latin America during an encounter that took place in Buenos Aires, several ideas emerged among the students that belong to the schools of the TA. A new experience developed as a Virtual Forum on the topic of “America, one only”.
In the year 2005, under the same motto, the First Congress for the children in the TA schools took place in Chile with the participation of Bolivia, Argentina and Uruguay.
Since 2006 the process of interchange continued with the motto “Leaders for Peace”.
In the year 2008, the II Congress was celebrated in Cochabamba, Bolivia, in the Pedro Poveda School. There, a common goal developed: to seek peace in Latin America. To this end it is necessary to form persons committed to reality and ready to be agents of peace; young people with a positive outlook, capable of sharing and ready to give others the best of themselves.
In the year 2010, the III Latin American Congress of children of the TA took place at the Pedro Poveda School of Buenos Aires with the motto: “The America we dream”
Blog of the IV Congress of TA children and adolescents in America
The report in the Web del Colegio Pedro Poveda de Montevideo
Info.TA
Information and photos: TA Montevideo
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